mythology

mythology [Ge].
The study of religious or heroic legends and tales that seem incredible and which were created by particular communities as MYTHS. One constant rule of mythology is that whatever happens amongst the gods or other mythical beings was in one sense or another a reflection of events on earth: as Emile Durkheim emphasized, god is another name for society, for humans make their god in their own image. Thus recorded myths and legends, perhaps preserved in literature or folklore, have an immediate interest to archaeology in trying to unravel the nature and meaning of ancient events and traditions.